Tim Sherwood urges Tottenham to unleash 'sensational' gem who can have Max Dowman-like impact
Tottenham's Luca Williams-Barnett is catching the eye with Tim Sherwood plucking him out as this season's one to watch in the Premier League.
The 17-year-old has been making an impression around Tottenham despite his lack of experience.
And he is regarded as one of Spurs' most promising youth products currently in N17.
Tottenham do have a strong history of turning to youth, and Williams-Barnett could very well be the next big thing out of Hotspur Way.
The youngster has already made his debut, with Thomas Frank handing him three minutes plus additional time against Doncaster in the 2025-2026 Carabao Cup.
He has continued developing throughout Spurs' academy but Sherwood expects his involvement to increase
What has Tim Sherwood said about Luca Williams-Barnett?
Sometimes it is wise to temper expectations for young talented footballers.
However, Sherwood simply couldn't contain his excitement over the future of Williams-Barnett.
Speaking on Sky Sports News on Wednesday morning and delivering his Premier League predictions, Williams-Barnett was on Sherwood's mind when giving his one to watch for the 2026-2027 season.
Sherwood stated: "I'm hoping we're talking about this player, Luca Williams-Barnett at Tottenham, the17-year-old. I know he's very young.
"I think he deserves the opportunity to play. I think he's as good as, even though he's not played at the level, but he's got the swagger, he's got the ability enough to play in that team.
"I'm not saying he can play every single week, but I certainly think, like Max Dowman, who we talked about last year, he can play 10-15 games.
"I think Luca Williams-Barnett will be the one to watch."
Sherwood would go on to say that he hopes Williams-Barnett is kept at Hotspur Way and not sent on loan.
He ended his reasoning by labelling the youth star as a "sensational player".
Is Williams-Barnet ready for regular first-team action?
At just 17 years old, that is a big mantle to take on, and it does remain to be seen if Roberto De Zerbi will turn to the youth star.
In pre-season, he featured in five of Spurs' fixtures, finally finding the net in the last match against Hoffenheim.
The Englishman completed 87 minutes in a 2-2 draw, where he not only scored but also made two key passes and created one big chance.
His youth, though, was evident in his individual battles. Over 19 duels, he won just six of them as per Sofascore.
However, 19 duels is quite a lot, showing he is confident to get stuck into matches.
And the only way he is going to get strong in those is through experience against senior players.
If De Zerbi does allow Williams-Barnett first team minutes, Sherwood is entirely right.
The Spurs wonderkid has all the talent possible to become this season's breakout star. He just needs to be given the platform to build on.